Bearcats split softball doubleheader in home opener

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wbng sports

March 30, 2013Updated Nov 4, 2013 at 3:07 AM EDT

Vestal, NY (WBNG Binghamton) Junior second baseman Jessica Bump went 2-for-6, scored twice and has a pair of RBI as Binghamton gained a split against Boston University in the first regular-season games ever played at the new Bearcats Sports Complex softball facility. The Bearcats dropped the first game of the doubleheader 3-2 but held on to win the second game 4-3.

Bump, who had a double and a triple, was one of five Binghamton players to collect two hits during the day. Junior third baseman Mikala King went a team-best 3-for-6 (.500) and now has a team-high and career-best six-game hitting streak.

“I thought we responded well after that first loss,” head coach Michelle Burrell said. “We came out and got runs in the second game right away, which was what we needed to do to get back on track.”

In the opener, freshman catcher Taylor Chaffee singled home the first run of the game in the bottom of the second inning. Haley King, however, drilled a two-run homer over the left field fence in the top of the fifth inning, putting Boston up 2-1.

Bump tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning when she tripled home sophomore shortstop Caytlin Friis. One inning later, however, Megan Volpano put the Terriers back up by a run when she singled home Jayme Mask.

Binghamton left the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth inning as well as the tying run on second base when the first game ended.

Whitney Tuthill was the winning pitcher, raising her record to 7-8. Junior pitcher Demi Laney took the loss and is now 3-4.

Freshman first baseman Lisa Cadogan went 2-for-3, extending her hitting streak to 11 games. She would be held hitless, however, in the nightcap. Freshman outfielder Sydney Harbaugh, meanwhile, also finished with a pair of hits.

Bump opened the scoring in the second game when she scored on a sacrifice fly by Cadogan in the bottom of the first inning. She made it 2-0 in the bottom of the third inning when she scored on an RBI single by freshman designated hitter Tiffany McIntosh. Two batters later, McIntosh scored on a double by senior outfielder Jessica Phillips.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Bump’s sacrifice fly allowed King to score the Bearcats’ fourth and final run of the game.

Boston nearly came back in the top of the seventh inning. After a Binghamton error allowed their first run to score, the Terriers got a RBI single by Emily Roesch, trimming the deficit to 4-2.

Mask scored the third run on the inning when a throw to pick her off third base went into the outfield. One batter later, however, the Bearcats got out of the inning and salvaged the split.

Senior pitcher Rhoda Marsteller got the win, raising her record to 4-2. None of the three runs she surrendered were earned. Senior pitcher Kate Price collected her second save of the season.

The loss was tagged to Erin Schuppert, who is now 1-4.

Phillips and King each finished with two hits in the second game.

Binghamton and Boston University conclude their three-game series with a noon game on Sunday.